This is a pretty place, steeped in history. There were a number of gulets (Turkish wooden sailing vessels – very pretty with lots of woodwork) and swimmers in the bay, most of which were to leave later in the day. We made a perfect approach and tied up alongside the wooden pier; within minutes everyone was in the water off the back of the boat. What a relief. The water was incredibly clear – the Turks are very fussy about that and have tough regulations.
Knidos was an ancient port and town, now in ruins and partially excavated. The massive stone moles defining the two harbour entrances are clearly visible. There are actually two harbours, east and west connected by a sandy isthmus. One is now quite shallow, while the other is large, deep and protected. The ancient city was built by the Greeks from around 400BC and became a wealthy centre for commerce with a population in the tens of thousands. It dwindled until around 700AD. During this time a huge city was built, with temples, theatres, marble paved streets, a water system and of course many buildings. All laid out perfectly in straight lines! Seeing it in ruins now begs the question…. what happened? Apparently successive earthquakes and attacks by pirates eventually led to its demise.
